South Korean burger and chicken brand Mom's Touch has entered the Japanese market by opening its first store in Shibuya, Tokyo, The Korea Economic Daily has reported. 

The new 418m² outlet accommodates 200 guests. 

The Mom's Touch location in Shibuya is notable for having been previously operated by McDonald's for more than three decades.

The restaurant brand aims to capitalise on this strategically positive position by introducing a reservation system to manage customer flow and engaging in pre-promotions to foster communication with local clientele.

In October 2023, Mom's Touch opened a pop-up store in the same area.

The brand is set to participate in the Tokyo Franchise Show, Japan's largest franchise trade fair, this year.

The event offers the brand an opportunity to explore potential partnerships for franchise businesses and expand its footprint in the Japanese market. 

Mom's Touch stated: “The location is adjacent to Shibuya Scramble Square, with a daily floating population of about three million people. It's situated in a prime area with Shibuya station and large shopping malls densely packed in the vicinity.  

"The value of the Japanese burger market is estimated at $5.3bn, and we plan to promote the excellence of K-burgers [burgers from a Korean supplier] in Japan, driving expansion further into international markets.” 

In March 2023, Uber Eats Japan introduced self-driving robot delivery services in Tokyo as part of a new initiative to improve service efficiency given the country’s persistent labour shortage. 

Two stores in Tokyo’s Nihonbashi neighbourhood — Tonkatsu Aoki and Benihana Annex — already use the robots, The Japan Times has reported.